


Eyebrows fill the silence

by KFlynn



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cursed Derek, Idiots in Love, M/M, Matchmaker Sheriff Stilinski, Mates, Oblivious Stiles Stilinski, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Sassy Derek, Sheriff Knows, Soulmates, True Mates, Witches, true love lifts the curse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:47:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27366043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KFlynn/pseuds/KFlynn
Summary: A witch in Beacon Hills.Derek had just scoffed, stood there like a big ass Alpha and told her to go or she would be hunted down by his pack.She, however, hadn’t been impressed at all. Instead she laughed, and before Stiles could react, she had thrown magic at Derek, throwing him back against the next tree.“Hear thy mate proclaim their love for you, or though whilst not speak another word forever. Oh, and you won’t be able to write it down with your own fingers!”And then she disappeared.+++Or the story where Stiles spend his summer with Derek, who gets cursed by a witch. Of course the amazing Stiles does his best to help Derek, which includes getting Deaton to say that he loves the werewolf, a Dad who knows way too much, and really talkative eyebrows.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 11
Kudos: 313





	Eyebrows fill the silence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kalika_999](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kalika_999/gifts).



> This story is for the lovely and amazing @Kalika_999 who won a story in the Fandom for Australia Auction <3 Thanks so much for bidding, thanks so much for being so patient! 
> 
> Mel proofread the story, and all mistakes that remain are mine, and mine alone. 
> 
> I tried to write something lighthearted and lovely, as the year is hard enough for all of us, and I hope I can bring a smile to your faces when you read this story!

This probably was the strangest summer Stiles had ever experienced, but at the same time, it was full of adventure and kind of fun. 

There was a lot of routine, such as him getting up way earlier than he liked to, as his Dad or a certain werewolf (who climbed through his window) woke him up. Then he had breakfast with his Dad whenever possible. He also brought him healthy food to the station in the afternoon, talked to the other officers there, and always tried to look at what his Dad was having troubles with. He also tried to help him with that, although the Sheriff slowly got better at hiding his files, insisting that he should enjoy his summer break. 

He also tried to meet Scott as often as possible, but that proved more difficult than in previous school breaks. His best friend was often focused on pining, training, studying and working at Deaton’s. Moreover, while Stiles was glad that Scott finally did something about his grades and worked to earn money to help his Mum, it felt weird to not meet him every day and hang out. That certainly was the strangest part of this summer. 

It just was so different to any summer before, as he had spent every break with Scott, almost as if they were glued to each other’s hip. 

Maybe he himself would be the same once he found someone he was madly in love with, but even with his focus on Lydia, he had not been that bad. On the other hand, Scott was rather single-minded when he focused on something or someone. Stiles tried not to be too disappointed, although he couldn’t help but sigh when another text came in, telling him that Scott didn’t have the time to meet him again. 

Fortunately, there were some werewolves who kept him busy, or showed up just when he felt the worst. Almost as if they had an inner sensor that told them when Stiles was down. Maybe it was nothing but luck and weird coincidence, but whatever it was, he was glad. 

Sure, they had had their differences with Derek and his back in the beginning, but some of that had also been their own fault. After all, they had been quick to paint Derek as the one killing his sister; all the while, the dark haired broody Sourwolf had really done his best to help them. He had trained Scott, or at least begun to do so… and he protected Beacon Hills and never said no when they really needed him. He was a good guy, sure with some heavy emotional baggage, but he was trying his best. 

Stiles was no werewolf, but he still wanted to do his part, and not leave the protection of their home to the supernatural beings alone. 

It led to him sitting in the old Hale house, surrounded by Derek’s pack, discussing strategies with them. By now, he had a map of Beacon Hills and the preserve, clearly mapping the pack’s borders. He had even gotten Deaton to teach him some more about Mountain Ash and Wolfs bane. 

Which was one of the reasons why he had actively managed to help the pack with fighting off random monsters, such as a Troll who wanted to build himself a home in Beacon Hills. Of course, they hadn’t been too much in favour of it, and with a mix of talking, fighting and running, the Troll decided to leave.

“Who knew that Trolls really existed?” Stiles muttered when he pulled some twigs from his hair and sat down on the Couch, reaching for the Pizza on the table. Erica just plopped on the ground, readjusting her arm until it made a weird crunchy sound. “Yeah! Nasty things!”

“Why didn’t you just talk to them until morning?” Isaac threw in, glancing at his ruined scarf almost ruefully.

“Oh? Did you just try a Hobbit on me?” Stiles mumbled with a laugh. Boyd was silent as ever, but almost as bloody as Derek who sat down next to him with another one of his gruff sounds.

“You haven’t seen the Hobbit, for real?” Stiles suddenly asked, staring at the Alpha, who just raised an eyebrow and reached for the food as well.

“Sometimes… I really want you to write a dictionary, Stiles.” Erica said with a chuckle. “Derek Eyebrow – English.”

“Ah? It’s actually pretty easy. You see, the eyebrows now? They’re between amused and a warning to not go too far or he will be annoyed.”

Isaac leaned in, and even Boyd had a closer look, until both of them shrugged.

“Come on! It’s not that hard, see-“, Stiles began, reaching out with one finger, but Derek grabbed it, glared at him, his eyes flashing red for a second.

“Don’t forget to eat. The food will get cold.”

+++

The next days followed a similar routine, apart from him giving in once to allow his Dad a Burger. And it was a really big Burger. The fact that it included some curly fries for him lessened the unhealthy impact a bit, but he still tried his best to bring his Dad healthy food.

Which led to him standing in a grocery store, looking at the vegetables with a frown. He couldn’t overdo it and bring him another salad… but what else?

Without thinking much about it, Stiles reached for his phone and dialled Derek’s number. He didn’t know anyone who was really savvy when it came to cooking, but he knew that the werewolf didn’t always eat out. And Isaac had at least once talked about his amazing lasagne, so… if someone could help him with cooking, it probably was Derek.

“Her Der! What can I cook my Dad that’s healthy but not a salad?” he asked the instant the werewolf picked up.

"Good morning Derek, it's so nice to hear you. How are you?" the werewolf said drily. His voice sounded a little tinny through the speaker; his own phone was battered, the last time Stiles had taken a good look at it. "Anyway, you think salad is the only healthy meal existing? There's so much more you could cook for him."

“Morning…” Stiles uttered with a chuckle. “Yeah, I know… theoretically at least. But truth be told, I’m not that much of a cook. I’m right in front of the vegetables right now and frankly… I’m lost.”

"What does your Dad like? There's plenty you could cook him. Chicken and prawns have good protein if he doesn't want to eat vegetables only. Asian cuisine, maybe, if he enjoys that sort of thing." 

Stiles could hear the wind through the speaker; Derek had to be outside somewhere. "You need help?"

“I most definitely need help!” he mumbled, eyes scanning the vegetables again. Nothing really spoke to him or inspired him, though. “Would you be so kind to assist me with this important task of feeding my father?” Stiles asked, grabbing a carrot to emphasize his noble statement (and ignoring the looks of some other shoppers).

"Are you grabbing random vegetables as we speak?" Derek muttered, as if he was able to see him. Then he added "Sure. Which shop are you at? I can be there in... fifteen, probably. But you owe me coffee."

"I am not! Heathens!" Stiles quickly put the carrot back, smiling sheepishly. "I'm at the grocery store next to the station. Ya know, the one with the pizzeria next door?"

"Good, yeah. I'll be there in a bit. Try to look as if you aren't ready to cause chaos." Derek said, and his tone sounded almost sly. Then he hung up, which left Stiles to stare at the vegetables in silence. He even walked up and down the aisle, mainly to avoid the questioning looks of the people around him. 

And truth be told, the werewolf stepped in about twenty minutes later, looking around with a frown, his eyebrows drawn together in sharp displeasure.

"Heeey!" Stiles raised one arm and waved as soon as he spotted him, his face erupting into a brilliant smile. "I owe you the biggest coffee ever, big guy!"

"That you do." Derek's expression eased a little, and there was something like a miniscule smile playing around his lips. He nodded, taking Stiles' basket. "So. Food?"

"Yes. Food!" He actually beamed. "Please teach me, you're my last hope, Der!"

"You are ridiculous." But Derek looked almost fond as he loaded Stiles' bag with whatever he deemed appropriate. He really knew a bunch about nutrition - his explanations were curt and on-point, but they did help Stiles make up his mind about food for his Dad...

…and on top of it, it was really nice to spend time with Derek. Stiles wouldn’t say it out loud, but he really liked the Sourwolf. Maybe even more than like.

At the end he bought a lot, but only after Derek had promised to cook with him. After all, he didn’t want to poison the entire station. Not that would actively poison them, but he didn’t need to tell anyone that this was more or less a white lie to spend more time with Derek. If the werewolf had heard the small lie, he didn’t react, and thus obviously didn’t really mind. Which was a good sign, right?

Stiles handed the cashier the money, while Derek was packing the food, when a strange noise in the store made him look to the right, where he spotted a man suddenly behaving like he was a chicken.

“…what the…?”

Derek frowned, his expression immediately closing off. Stiles could see him take a careful breath, as if he expected to smell something potentially dangerous... but his frown only increased. 

The man continued to make weird movements with his arms, placing one step in front of the other. He passed them, making silent chicken noises before he turned towards the fruits and began to reach for them with his mouth, which made a member of stuff rush up towards him, alarmed.

"Okay... that is weird..." Stiles whispered. He glanced at Derek and nodded. "Let's pack the things quickly and then bring it into the car. You didn't smell anything?"

"Nothing" Derek replied, his voice quiet enough that probably nobody but Stiles could pick it up as they left the store. He was about to say more when both of them heard loud, rancorous laughter behind them. 

There was a man, flirting with a lamppost. Derek's hand closed around Stiles' wrist, speeding up a little.

“Okay… this is really weird… you really smell nothing? Nothing at all…?” he asked silently, as he focused his gaze on the man, frowning himself. He looked totally normal, and neither of them could spot weird markings or any other sign of him being tempered with. There was, however, something like a vague static in the air…

"We should go to Deaton," Derek said flatly, as if this was answer enough. He looked as if he, too, had felt the strange static, and certainly didn't want to be close to it ... at least not without a battle plan. 

“Yeah… go ahead, I’ll stop back home to put the food into the fridge, and then I’ll join you right away!”

"No, we're not going to do it like this. We're not splitting up." Derek sounded tense, and his eyes seemed to darken underneath his brows. "I drive behind you, make sure you get there in one piece. Then we take my car and drive off to Deaton."

"O...kay...?" Stiles ran a hand through his hair, but then nodded. 

When he hopped into his own car and started the engine, could see Derek's car in his rear mirror, and didn't even try to calm his heartbeat at that sight. It felt nice that the werewolf was taking care of him... almost as if he was part of the pack. 

Stiles reached his house soon, stopped the car and rushed out to bring the groceries inside, quickly storing them safely, before he rushed back out, almost slamming the door behind him as he rushed towards Dere’s car. “Let’s take your car?” he suggested, as he opened the door and sat down, buckling up.

"Alright," Derek said tersely. He was eyeing the people on the street. They seemed to behave normally here: a man was walking his dog, a young family was out with a stroller. Still, there was tension in his shoulder. 

"Be quick. I have no idea what this means..."

"I am!" He rushed inside, carried the bags and put everything in the fridge, on the counter and wherever it belonged. Then he ran back out, closed the door behind himself, before he got to the amazing Camaro and sat down. "Uuuuuuh... I love this car!"

Derek's lips curled into a faint smile as he started the motor. Stiles nearly squealed when the car came to live below him; they drove off swiftly. 

"I've never seen anything like this..."

"Yeah... it's kinda weird..." Stiles mumbled, agreeing with a nod. "At first I thought it was a prank or something, but... not that many? And did you feel this weird static…?"

"Yeah, it was definitely odd. And I don't like it." Derek bared his teeth, a split-second of his sharp, dangerous side. Then he calmed down again, taking the car around a corner. "Do you want to try calling Scott?"

"Huh?" At that Stiles appeared confused, and had to admit that he hadn't even thought about it. Weird. "Uh... let's first find out what's going on? Then I still call him?"

"Alright." 

They passed another couple, both of them crowing like birds and running around on the walkway. Derek's frown intensified; he drove a little faster. 

The parking lot of Deaton's clinic was empty, but thankfully his office door wasn't locked.

They both headed in at the same time, and Stiles barely spotted the Doctor putting his mobile down with a sigh, before the familiar expression appeared on his face.

“Greetings…” he began, now facing them fully.

“Hey, Doc!”

"It's good to see you," Deaton said. He sounded serious, but also strained; Whatever had happened on the phone apparently didn't make him happy. 

"People out there are going insane," Derek said without preamble. His expression was dark, and he crossed his arms. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

"Yeah! People are behaving really strange, like imitating animals? And there was a weird static around them...!" Stiles added with a nod, standing right next to Derek. 

He didn't miss Deaton's look as he took in both of them before he sighed. "I believe there is a witch close by..."

"A witch?" 

Derek almost immediately growled the words, his tone dropping. Stiles could almost see the tension seeping back inside his bones; he was ready. 

"What do you know? And what can we do?"

"I don't know much..." he admitted. "But the static you both felt, it means that magic had been involved. And the... way the curses play out, is more or less comedic. Witches sometimes tend to do this, usually either if they want to test their powers, or if they follow a certain pattern." 

"Huh..." Stiles uttered, tilting his head. "Like... what?" 

"I have no idea what that pattern could be, Stiles. I haven't met them. But their range usually isn't that great, so the furthest they can be is... approximately 30 miles from the city centre."

"Okay!" Stiles nodded. "And how do we find them?" 

"You follow the static."

"Follow the static," Derek repeated, somewhat dry. But he nodded, turning back toward the door. "Let's go look for them? We don't have room for them in our territory..."

"H-hey wait!" Stiles reached out, his fingers touching Derek's arm. "How do you fight witches? What do we do once we find them?"

"We'll figure out the details once we'll get there. Don't worry. Nobody in their right mind will want to fight an alpha." His eyes flashed red, and he grinned...

"Eeeeeeh... I am not... so sure... DEREK!" Stiles grumbled, but then rushed after Derek who was running ahead already. 

He didn't see Deaton's thin smile as he sat down back in the car. "Do you want to call the pack?"

"I don't think we'll need them for this," Derek said, already starting the engine. He was driving off with a roaring Camaro, definitely showing off. "That static's everywhere in the air now. But I think I can follow it..."

"Uh... I really think taking the pack along wouldn't hurt..." he mumbled, looking at him. "Have you seen witches before?"

"Once. One passed through Beacon Hills some years ago. My mother took care of that.” Derek murmured as he drove along.

“And what did she do? Like… how do we fight them? And with the pack we’d at least have some form of backup?” Stiles mentioned, raising an eyebrow.

Derek just shrugged. “Call them if you want to. But we need to follow the trail now, or we’ll lose it. And what my mother did? She talked. Usually witches want something, and once you give it to them they leave. Unless you make them leave right away.”

Stiles fumbled with his phone, texting everyone that they were looking for a witch and that they should be careful. “And how do you plan to make them leave?”

“I’m an Alpha!” was all Derek replied, together with that big grin of him. As if that would explain everything.

+++

It did explain some of Derek’s plans, but it certainly didn’t work as easily as the werewolf had hoped it would.

They had found the witch who checked out the Nemeton, and was dressed in black lace, had a raven tattoo on her arm and her shoes in her hand (seriously! Who walked into the woods wearing high heels?), and yeah… that part of their plan was actually all that worked.

The rest?

Not so much.

Together they had begun talking to the witch, but after his own initial words which tried to initiate a polite, but yet firm, conversation, Derek interrupted him and basically demanded that she undid her spells and left. Stiles had been able to ask her why she did this, and she had babbled some sort of ‘be true to your love’ nonsense. At least it didn’t really make sense to him.

Derek had just scoffed, stood there like a big ass Alpha and told her to go or she would be hunted down by his pack.

She, however, hadn’t been impressed at all. Instead she laughed, and before Stiles could react, she had thrown magic at Derek, throwing him back against the next tree.

“Hear thy mate proclaim their love for you, or though whilst not speak another word forever. Oh, and you won’t be able to write it down with your own fingers!”

And then she disappeared.

“DEREK!” Stiles shouted, hands on the werewolf’s shoulder, looking around with wide eyes. “Hey… say something! Where did she go?” he asked, but Derek only stared at him, moving his mouth, but only a growl could be heard.  
“…fuck…”

+++

“Oh fuck…” Stiles whispered again and again as he sat in the car with Derek, back on their way to Deaton’s place. He busily typed on his mobile, contacting the rest of the pack to meet up later in the house, and that it was really urgent.

“You really can’t speak at all?”

Derek turned to him; everything about his body was one single tense line, like an exclamation mark. His brows were furrowed sharply, and he opened his mothing, but nothing at all got out. Stiles had his answer. 

He was unable to speak.

"Oh man..." He grumbled, put his mobile away and let out a deep sigh. "Just because you are... or were so cocky. I mean, yeah you're an Alpha and all that, but sometimes it's better to not show off like that?" Stiles mumbled and looked at him.

Derek made a gesture with his hands; Stiles had to admit that he never realized how expressive they were. His eyebrows, however, were way worse - they drew together sharply, almost angrily, and he almost growled. 

Yeah, not agreeing with Stiles on this.

“I mean, seriously?” he answered with a huff. “It’s clear you just wanted to show off and it totally backfired. But… okay, let’s not talk about what went wrong, and instead focus on what we can do now…. Ah good… light’s still on, Deaton should still be here!”

Only seconds later they stopped in front of the clinic, and Stiles was the first to rush out and head towards the door, holding it open for Derek to head through. 

“Yo, Doc?!”

"Stiles." Doctor Deaton was, indeed, still there. He cast one long look at Stiles - and then at Derek, frowning. "What happened?" he asked, matter-of-factly.

"We found the witch. Tadaaa. And she kind of cursed Derek. Now he can't speak." 

He put his hands on the table, staring at him. "She literally said... “Hear thy mate proclaim their love for you, or though whilst not speak another word forever. Oh, and you won’t be able to write it down with your own fingers!”

"You have to find Derek's true life mate and have them proclaim their love for him. Otherwise he will remain mute until the end of his days." Derek's brows shot up, almost panicked.

„Relax, big guy… we will solve this…“ Stiles assured him, nodding before he glanced back at Deaton. “How do we find his lifemate?”

"Well... that is the bigger problem, isn't it?" Deaton hummed. "It's a person made and moulded for Derek, his perfect match. Every werewolf has them. They usually recognize their mate..."

“Huh? So Derek will know them once he meets them…?” Stiles asked, turning his head to look at said werewolf. “Did you meet them already?”

Derek made a face that told him nothing. Deaton laughed softly, shaking his head. 

"They have to proclaim their love - and if they are his real mate, the curse will break..."

“Great….” Stiles grumbled and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay… okay… we can start with everyone you know and are rather close with to tell you that they love you? No offense, Deaton, but can you tell him? Just to rule you out?”

There was a prolonged silence. Deaton stared at Derek; the werewolf stared back, his brows drawn tightly together, showing a sharp vee that only helped to shop off his anger. 

"I do not think I have to." Deaton said after a long moment of silence. "It's not me. Maybe you should start with his pack."

“Graaaah!” Stiles ruffled his hair now, stared at both of them and let out a sound between a whine and a grumble. “Just say it so that I can rule it out. Please? And man, Der, stop being so grumpy!”

“Very well." Deaton took a breath, looking a little chagrined. His eyes were on Derek. "I love you," he said, seriously. Derek just looked like someone had kicked his very own puppy, opening his mouth, but not letting out a sound.

“Come on, it wasn’t THAT bad!” Stiles shot back, nudging Derek. Then he looked at the Doc and nodded in thanks. “Okay… let’s drive back to your house and meet the others. Together we will be able to help you better…”

Derek nodded, clearly happier with this premise as he had been minutes before. He still looked somewhat unhappy, but followed Stiles along and out of the vet's clinic. 

In the car he seemed to deflate, looking tense for a long minute...

“Hey…” Stiles murmured, reaching out and placing his hand on Derek’s. “We will find a way. I will find a way. I will help you. I won’t let this curse stay with you any longer than necessary…! Trust me!”

"..." 

There was a long, tense moment between them. He could see Derek swallowing, but he nodded, slowly, as if in agreement. He didn't flich away from Stiles' hand.

„Good… and now you’ll start the car and will drive to your old home. Then we’ll talk to the pack, and we will find a way together.” His voice was calm, but his eyes showed how worried he was. “Come on. Let’s go…”

"..." Derek looked at him, really looked at him. But then he nodded, slowly, and started the car. 

“Do you… know who your mate is?”

"..." Derek's brows did... a thing, really. It was hard to describe; he didn't look angry, per se, more confused and maybe tired. 

Finally, he shrugged. They were almost at the house.

“You don’t want to talk about it?” he asked. “Is it that bad? Oh please, it wasn’t Kate… was it?”

At this his eyes widened, and Derek quickly shook his head. No. Thankfully, no; it wasn't Kate Argent.

“Woah… good…!” He offered him a high five, and then chuckled when Derek didn’t react. “Okay. There is a reason you don’t want to talk about it… or maybe you’re not sure… is that it?”

Derek hesitated a moment, but then nodded. It was a curt, quick motion of his head, nothing more, but it was enough for Stiles to pick up.

“Okay… okay… I can work with that. We’ll figure it out. You hear me?” Stiles now stared at him. “We’ll figure it out!”

+++

They arrived at the house, and a few minutes later the first people were pulling up. 

Erica and Boyd were the first to arrive; Erica was pale and torn between worry and anger. She scented Derek, frowning deeply. "The witch did what to you?!"

“He can’t speak, Erica!” Stiles answered, rolling his eyes. “And we need to find his mate. So everyone of you will now tell him that you love him, to rule you out…”

Isaac almost spilled his drink at that. “WHAT?!”

“Tell him that you love him. Now! Pronto!”

Isaac huffed again. “I love you Derek…” 

“Okay, next.”

Derek just looked chagrined, making a wild gesture with his hands. Erica approached him, gently smoothing his wild hair back. 

"We all love you, Derek," she said earnestly. "And I, in particular, do too..." 

Derek sighed. Nothing was happening.

“Boyd!” Stiles insisted, and even though it took a while, he still said ‘I love you’

But again. Nothing happened.

“Ooookay… we can’t go around asking everyone to tell you that they love you!” he turned to face Derek. “Okay. I will research what I can about witches and their curses…”

“And Derek?” Isaac asked.

“Yeah… he can’t stay here alone…”

Derek scoffed at those words. Stiles could almost hear him: he could take care of himself, he could do anything, alone. But it was a fact that really, he couldn't. Derek couldn't stay alone here. 

"We can't take care of him," Erica said quietly. "My parents would never understand. Boyds, either. And Isaac is living at Scott's..."

“He can stay at my place!“ Stiles said instantly, surprising all of them. “Yeah. I got enough room. I can easily hide him from my Dad, he knows the place and… it works best!”

"...." Derek eyed him, but - to his own surprise - nodded. He took a step towards Stiles, lingering at his side. 

"Okay," Erica said, nodding. "Take care of him, will you?"

“Of course I will!” he answered with a big grin. “Okay, big guy. Pack your things, then we’ll drive to my place. Erica and Boyd, watch out for any strange happenings in town, Isaac, tell Scott that there’s a witch in town and to be careful. I will research the shit out of everything!”

The pack nodded, and then slowly sauntered off, leaving him and Derek alone.

Derek looked a little defeated, after all of them were gone. His shoulders were slumped; he just looked tired. Stiles was pretty sure he needed a proper bed for a while. 

Good thing he had that, among other things.

“Hey….” Stiles mumbled, reached out and touched his hand carefully.

“Don’t give up yet! I have solved everything so far… I won’t let you down. Never… now, get everything you need and let’s get home… hmm…?”

Derek's eyebrows relaxed for the first time in a long while. He nodded, slowly, leaning into the touch of Stiles' hand. 

He took a deep breath, then nodded, and followed him to the car.

++++

Together they headed to Stiles’ Jeep, and then drove back to his house, where he ushered Derek inside, packed his clothes in his own wardrobe and shoved the bag underneath his bed, where no one would ever be able to see it.  
“Okay… Dad won’t be here tonight. You, Sir, take a shower. A long and hot shower while I order food. Then we will research together. Yes?”

Derek nodded, clearly thankful. His head touched Stiles' own for a moment before he separated, grabbing a towel on his way towards the bathroom. 

It was... strange. Derek never talked much, but this? This complete silence? It was unsettling.

Stiles stared at the closed bathroom door for a while before he sighed and shook his own head, then opened his laptop. The first pick was the page of the local Italian where he ordered two pizzas, and then he instantly switched to research…

…because heck, he had to help Derek. Yes, he had been cocky and a brat. But it was cruel to hit someone with such a spell nonetheless. He would get the witch! He would find his mate and help him to get rid of the curse. He could do this!

If anyone could, it would be Stiles. 

He was deep into his research when the bathroom door opened again. Derek couldn't announce himself like he did usually, so he just stepped in, bare feet padding on the ground. He was wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else...

Stiles still wasn’t surprised, and he nodded towards him, waving his hand in a ‘hi’. He had to almost tear his eyes away from Derek’s body and hid his blush in a cough.

“Eh… you can grab something from my wardrobe is you want to….?”

He grumbled, a wordless sound. This was all he could get out. It was still somewhat odd. 

But Derek rifled through his wardrobe, picking the least overly tight shirt...

“I ordered Pizza. Should be here in… twenty.” Stiles mentioned, smiling at him. 

“Oh… by the way, I still just have this one bed, but… you slept here before, so I guess it’s okay?”

Derek nodded, approaching him. He looked across Stiles' shoulder, peering at his screen. It was nice, having him so close. Stiles could feel the warmth of his skin...

….and damn if that didn’t do things to him.

But right now he couldn’t focus on it. Instead he stared at the screen, until the doorbell made him jump and almost fall from his chair.

“W…oah! Food! Just wait here! I’ll be right back!” he announced as he rushed downstairs.

Derek grumbled, but let him go. Almost immediately Stiles felt the cold creeping into his bones; Derek really was a walking space heater. 

He paid for the pizza at the door, hearing the werewolf upstairs; Stiles then closed the door and headed back up.

“I hope you’re hungry!”

Derek's grumble was clear. His eyebrows made some complicated movement; Stiles was pretty sure it meant he really, in fact, was hungry.

So they sat down, in front of his bed and both ate their dinner. It was strange, this silence between them. Strange, but not fully uncomfortable. It was nice staying here with Derek, sharing this with him… but the worry was still overpowering all of it. He wanted to help Derek, even if it meant finding him his mate…

“Okay… So… “ he murmured, looking at him.

“I… hey, come on, big guy… “ Stiles began, reaching out again. “This is solvable! And...” his eyes widened as he suddenly heard the front door being opened and his Dad heading in.

“F…u… get… eh hide…!” he mumbled, rushing up and pulling Derek, aiming for the bathroom. But just then he heard his father get close. 

So instead he stumbled back, opened his wardrobe and pushed him inside.

“Be silent!”

Derek's eyebrows told him all he needed to know. Really? Be silent? 

He made a rude gesture, but Stiles closed the wardrobe door swiftly. Downstairs his dad was calling his name.

“Yeaaaaah… coming!” Stiles shouted and then rushed down, almost running into his father. Derek could hear them talking, the Sheriff complaining about the strange occurrences in town, and mostly asking Stiles to stay at home and be safe. He then grabbed some food and off he went…

….and only a minute later Stiles opened his wardrobe again, his face a mix between relaxed, amused and relieved.

“Oh man…. I have an almost naked man in my wardrobe…”

Derek stared at him, not moving out of the wooden shelves. He somehow had managed to wedge himself in between Stiles' clothes, and while it looked deeply uncomfortable it also looked very, very amusing to Stiles. 

Not to Derek, though.

“Oh come on, Sourwolf!“ Stiles muttered, then offered him his hand with a grin. 

“Lower these eyebrows and help me research. And… I would totally not opposed to you cuddling me later.”

Derek took his hand. His anger seemed to dissipate; he looked much more acceptably friendly for the time being. 

And his hand felt good in Stiles own. 

Slowly the werewolf extracted himself from the wardrobe.

“Good… one step after another…” Stiles said, smiling softly. Then he pushed him onto his bed, took his laptop and joined him there, both researching for hours and hours until Stiles began to yawn heavily.

At this point Derek's arm was wrapped around his side, the werewolf looking across his shoulder. Without the ability to speak he was almost eerily quiet; if not for the weight on his side Stiles could forget that he was even there. 

But if he concentrated he could feel his breath in his hair, and that - shit, that was nice. Domestic.

He could feel his arm, his warmth and he couldn’t deny that he really loved it. It felt amazing, and a part of him sure wanted more of it, but another part was too scared to whisper ‘I love you’, in fear it would not be him. Because, yeah, who was he kidding? He had a big crush on the werewolf and the thought of finding his mate was full of mixed feelings. He wanted to be his mate, but on the end, whatever helped him was more important than his feelings right now.

“So… we found out some stuff about witches, but nothing that really helps us… huh… we could make a kissing booth in town and ask everyone to tell you they love you?”

Derek pinched his side, giving a strangled growl behind him. There wasn't much else he could get out, no matter how much he tried. 

But apparently this idea was not in his good graces. A kissing booth, really?

The reaction made Stiles giggle. “Oh come on, you’re such a hottie and I don’t know anyone, apart from Scott maybe, that wouldn’t kiss you!”

Derek's nose nudged the back of his neck at that, and he grumbled, clearly not happy with the prospect. 

But the arm around his side didn't move away, instead only drew him in tighter.

It made him giggle. He just placed his laptop on the ground, and then let himself fall back, actually snuggling closer.

“You are the best Alpha… even though you’re a cocky bastard!”

Derek nudged him again, now with less fervour. It was more like a gentle poke, soft and somewhat comforting. 

Then he nestled deeper into the blankets, holding Stiles to his chest.

++++

Stiles woke up with a frown, not fully realising that he had actually fallen asleep in the first place. 

He was on his bed, Derek right behind him, one arm lazily over his waist, breathing softly. He wasn't really sure whether the Werewolf was actually awake or not... 

but he let out a silent squeal when he fully opened his eyes and looked towards the door... 

...where his father stood, leaning against the doorframe with a smile. 

"You got 5 minutes. Then you'll both be down for breakfast."

Later Stiles realized that he should be way more mortified by the entire ordeal - but for some reason his father had taken it in good graces. It made him flush a little, feeling torn between being umcomfortable and just being plain... happy? It really was a heady mix. 

Behind him Derek moved, but didn't take his arm away immediately. When Stiles turned his head he could see him do something complicated with his brows again - wordless communication being on point.

"....uh... sorry...?" he muttered, slowly untangling him from the werewolf as he stretched and sat up.

"...ungh...." Stiles huffed, running a hand over his face. "This will be... interesting now... I hope you're hungry?"

"..." 

There was a nod, curt but clearly visible. Derek followed him out of the bed fluidly. 

He looked spectacular with his hair ruffled...

Stiles looked at him, and actually found himself staring... until he cleared his throat and rushed towards the bathroom, asking Derek to just pick some clothes from his wardrobe if he wanted to. 

They both headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, where the Sheriff already sat, stirring a spoon in his coffee, looking at them almost too calmly.

"Morning... Dad...."

"Good morning. Did you two sleep well?" 

The calm was almost eerie. Not that the Sherriff was a loud man - really, quite the contrary - but Stiles knew that he was thinking about this. 

"You should have told me. I would have bought breakfast."

“Well… uh….” Stiles began, scratching the back of his head. “Ya know… this wasn’t really planned…”

The boy sighed as he sat down, looking at his Dad’s raised eyebrow.

“Okay… why… okay. Let me…” Stiles began with a grumble, and then turned to explain what had happened. It was fortunate that John already knew about the supernatural world, so he didn’t have to be careful with that. He still looked rather surprised when Stiles mentioned the witch and the curse.

“So… and now we’re here, trying to lift the curse. We even thought about setting up a kissing booth?” 

"A kissing booth?" 

John frowned, looking at Stiles, then Derek. There was something in his expression that seemed difficult to read. 

"No offense to your meticulous planning, son, but why don't you try to say ‘I love you’ and then kiss him outright?"

"Huh??"

At that Stiles looked up, the hints of a blush appearing on his cheeks. 

"Me? I mean... I ... eh... I could, but I wanted to...." he then stopped, gulping as he glanced at Derek. 

It probably was no real secret that he was head over heels into the werewolf. But they had never talked about it, he had never really mentioned it, and Derek had never really given him the impression that he felt the same. Or rather, he totally ruled out the possibility that Derek could be interested into him like that.

"Not that I don't want to kiss you, Der..." he began, and then stopped himself, blushing now as he moved his hands, shaking them in utter embarrassment. "I mean!"

Derek raised both his brows, as if he wanted to ask Stiles what he meant with it. It was almost funny that Stiles wished him to be an actual wolf, for the moment. His ears would probably tell even better stories. 

Then again, he did look properly affronted.

"I...."

He gulped, staring at Derek, unwilling to admit that he hadn't kissed him because he was afraid to not be... it. It would break his heart and kill the last bit of hope.

"Daaaad... why.... did you say that?" Stiles asked with a huff, staring at the Sherriff accusingly.

"Oh?" He shrugged, as if completely immune to Stiles' inner turmoil. "Well, because it would likely help cure this situation immediately."

Stiles made a strange sound at that, and turned to look at the werewolf. Could it really be? Could it…?

He gulped. “Well… maybe we can have you kiss him first? Just in case?”

"...Would you feel better if I did?" John really didn't seem angry, or even shocked. He just went with it easily. "Because I definitely will." 

Derek made an aborted gesture, but at least he didn't run from the room.

Stiles was, however, beginning to get nervous now. 

".... Say, Derek...." he began, voice almost a whisper. "Is there anyone you... want to kiss?"

Derek's eyes bore into his. He looked at the Sherriff with a frown before shaking his head. Then he looked at stiles, giving him a thumb's up. His brows did something weird.

"So... you don't want to kiss my Dad?" Stiles asked for confirmation, sitting up straighter. 

"...why do your eyebrows tell me that you think I'm a moron?"

At that, Derek nodded very enthusiastically. Like he agreed completely. 

"Maybe," John drawled, "because its true."

"You don't all have to agree!" he mumbled, biting down onto his lower lip. His eyes never left Derek, and after a while, he let out a sigh. 

"Dad... can you... turn around please?"

"Sure thing," John said, the amusement audible in his voice. He took his mug of coffee and turned around slowly. "Derek, tell me when he's done, okay?"

"I hate you too so much right now..." Stiles mumbled, but then breathed in deeply and stared at Derek. 

And stared....

And Derek returned the stare, not shying away from him. His eyes moved from stiles own eyes down to his lips, and then back up. 

His expression was hard to read.

Stiles breathed in deeply again. Then he carefully leaned forward, his breath touching Derek's lips. 

He was excited, but also starting to be afraid. What if it wouldn't work...? 

But he glanced up, towards Derek's expressive eyebrows. And then he leaned forward even more, closed his own eyes, whispered ‘I love you’ and then just focused on the amazing feeling of the werewolf's lips on his...

For a long moment nothing seemed to happen, and Stiles' heart was beating high in his throat. And then. 

And then, Derek kissed back, holding him in his arms with a powerful grip. His lips moved against Stiles, and he made a low sound deep in his chest, almost like a growl. 

And when they separated, slowly, he growled for real. 

"Thank God you finally figured it out."

Stiles' eyes were huge now, his lips slightly parted, and the tips of his ears burning red. 

"I.... for real...?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly, but there was a massive smile forming on his lips as well. "....YES?"

"For real," Derek said, dragging him closer with one single, powerful movement. The second kiss was much more heady, Derek's power shining through like a beacon. They separated, and the werewolf's eyes were shining bright. 

"You just took forever to figure it out.”

"Why didn't you just tell me?!" Stiles askes, huffing now. 

The Sheriff glanced back and laughed at that. "Come on, Stiles. Wasn't it obvious?"

"It was. It most definitely was," Derek said, but the laughter crept back in his voice. He still sounded a little hoarse, his voice painfully unused.

"...." 

Stiles' mouth stayed open, staring at him.

"But, remember, Derek. Nothing before he's 18." the Sherriff reminded him, while Stiles now turned towards him. 

"You.. what?" 

"Derek asked me for permission. Some months ago..." John added with a shrug. As if it was the most normal thing ever. 

"He... asked....?" Stiles asked, blinking. "You like me?"

"I liked you for a long time, Stiles," Derek said, sounding somewhere between bemused and absolutely long-suffering. 

"Really. You are the smartest boy I know, and yet you are somewhat dense sometimes..." his dad added, shaking his head slowly.

He made a sound, close to a groan, before he jumped forward, wrapping his arms around Derek without any hesitation. 

"That means... I am... I am... you are..." he mumbled, their noses touching.

"Yes, Stiles, it means exactly that," Derek replied, his voice low and affectionate. He pressed their noses together, dropping a slight kiss onto the tip of his nose. 

"My soulmate."

He giggled now, and almost didn't hear his father's chuckle. "Now... you too. Now that Stiles finally got it... why don't you treat him to breakfast? I can then drink my coffee in peace and call Melissa. She owes me a Burger now." 

"A Burger? You made a bet?" he asked with a huff, not letting go of Derek. 

"Yeah... " John shrugged. "And I won."

"I've got the feeling everyone knew, Stiles. Everyone but you," Derek teased gently. "Come on. Breakfast's on me..."


End file.
